Crocus & Colchicums.

Autumn Flowering Bulbs

 Its not quite Autumn yet in Australia but the Colchicum have been out for a few weeks, and this morning I went out with my cup of tea and found Crocus banaticus out in flower. We have been struggling with our beloved dog Lucy for the last five months carrying her every where as she was unable to walk for much of that time and my mother has had multiple strokes and is just as helpless, unable to speak or walk, Saturday the decision was made and Lucy is no longer with us. So finding these gorgeous Crocus out was very uplifting. These bulbs were from Otto when we first moved to this new garden, and there are more flowers to come. I think it is the much branched purple styles along with the coloured flowers that make this such an attractive bulb that I covert. From Romania, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, in meadows and deciduous woodland. There is a white form that I have only seen in books and on Ian Young's bulbalog I guess Otto has it, but it must not have been out on my visits. (above and below)

 Colchicum's out in flower greeting us from the front gate.

An unknown Colchicum that was in the garden that I thought may have been C. byzantinum but when I compare it to C. byzantinum from Archibald seed, it is nothing like it unless there are large variations in the wild, I am uncertain as to what it is (above and below)

Easily the easiest Colchicum to grow is C. agrippinum  multiplies very well and is available from different nurseries. Probably a hybrid between C.variegatum and C. autumnale.

Colchicum bivonae this is the true form Otto imported from Ruksans also very vigourous.

Colchicum bowlesianum from Joy Hawthorne is starting to settle in and multiply I have had this for years and it has never done much but it enjoys where it is growing now.

Another Colchicum that I bought as C. byzantinum I think our Colchicum's need a bit of sorting out in Australia. Colchicum's need to be lifted and divided every now and then as they grow on top of one another and to get them flowering properly you need to dig them up and separate them.

Staying in the pink theme Cyclamen mirabile Tilebarn Nicholas from dutch seed 2013 it does not like to be over potted or dried out, so a light watering all year in Australian conditions is important, semi shade in summer in a we'll drained mix.